Be as creative about completing jobs as you have been in putting them off...

FAQ...

1. What type of individual has a dee-clutterer?

All types of people reacting to different moments in their lives. Women, men, full and part-time workers; people who are simply too busy, mums struggling to find a routine and feeling overwhelmed.

The recently retired, people who have lost a loved one; or recently gotten divorced; people dee-cluttering their entire house or tired of their old clothes; or struggling to rent or sell their house; or getting their house ready for a special occasion or tidying the mess after the event; clearing out old paperwork or clearing up after builders; converting a room or cleaning the attic or the garage or becoming more efficient in the work place – we match our services to suit you. Anyone and everyone.

2. Is it too indulgent to use the services of a professional dee-clutterer?

No. You have recognised an area in your life that you feel is too big for you to tackle on your own. You have most probably tried, failed and were left feeling frustrated and disappointed with yourself. So why wouldn’t you ask for help, it’s common sense not indulgence.

3. I want to engage your services, but my house is such a tip I’m embarrassed.

Don’t be. You have taken the first step in recognising you need an ally to help you sort it all out and that’s what I love to do for my clients; I am not there to judge, I am there to help you to deliver your vision.

4. I’m wary that you may disagree with some of my life choices and will try to influence me.

No-one wants to be bullied and told how they should live their lives. Let me reassure you that the time I spend with my clients is very much as an ally, a friend; we are on a journey together; I will gently encourage and support you to deliver on your vision of how you wish your life to be, and I certainly don’t impose my personal views on the life choices my clients make, we are all unique and that uniqueness should be celebrated.

My service is individual, and getting to know you and your individual circumstances lets me discover a personal route to bring the changes you seek in line with your family values.

5. “Do you work the same way with all your clients?”

My service is individual, and getting to know you and your individual circumstances lets me discover a personal route to bring the changes you seek in line with your life choices and family values.

6. “Do you actually clean?”

Yes. Together we go through the targeted rooms and, dee-clutter, re-organise and clean.

7. “What if you tell me to get rid of something, but I don’t want too?”

I would never tell you to get rid of something. We are working together to deliver YOUR VISION, I simply ask questions and your answers to those questions helps you make the decision whether to keep the item or not.

8. “Do you need anything from me?”

I need you to ensure the time we are working together is uninterrupted; so make prior arrangements for any children and pets to be cared for off the premises. Phones and mobiles should be sent to voicemail. Advise all visitors likely to pop in that you will be unavailable.

Try to ensure that your recycle bins are empty so that we might make full use of them.

I also need you to have an open mind, change is never easy, and so I will gently support you whilst you make those tough decisions.

9. “Are you security checked?”

Yes. I take security very seriously and can confirm that in order to reassure my clients; I initiated a full security check by ACPO, Criminal Records Office who state on the authenticated document I received from their office; “There is no information held about you on the Police National Computer”.

10. “Will you advise me on storage solutions?”

Yes. Whatever your budget I can look at the space and make suggestions on how to improve it in order to get the most efficient use out of it. You can also look at Diggory’s Pinterest pages to gain ideas on all sorts, from storage baskets to shoe storage ideas.

11. “Am I able to visit your offices?”

Sorry, no, we do not permit personal visits to our offices.

12. “Will you help me pack and unpack for a house move?”

Of course we would be delighted to help, however if the cover you obtain from your removal company does not permit us to pack or unpack the goods ourselves, we can only supervise such actions undertaken by the removal men. So do check your cover if you require help in this area.

13. “Will you help me dispose of items?”

Yes. Diggory can arrange for the removal of items directly from your home, either by the local Council, local Council contractors, social enterprises operating recycling schemes, Auction Houses, Dress Agencies, Charity’s, or other potential agents or buyers. My time for organising collections is billed at £35.00 per hour.

Diggory Lifestyle has a branded’ trailer; so we can take items away on your behalf to charities; for a fee of £20.00 per trailer load.

Diggory Lifestyle cannot take items to the Recycling Centre for you, because to do so the Recycling Centre would charge my company a ‘Trade Waste Price’ of £42.00 per car load. This cost I would have to pass onto my client, which is why I do not offer this service.

Also, the Barton Farm Recycling Centre in Stratford Upon Avon do not permit businesses to take trailers onto their property, so The Diggory Trailer could not be used.

However, I can accompany you to the Recycling Centre in your car to help unload should you find that helpful. My time is billed at £35.00 per hour.

“At Just Clear, we work our eco-friendly cotton socks off, covering the country to remove all sorts of junk and recyclable items. We work with brilliant teams of waste removal experts who believe in simpler, no landfill waste removals.”

14. “Would you arrange for a skip for me?”

Yes. If a skip is warranted in order to remove a sufficient volume of items, Diggory can organise this, but the agreement for the services will be between yourself and the skip hire firm and payment must be made by yourself to the skip hire firm direct. The skip hire remains your responsibility for the duration of the hire period.

I would engage their services on our behalf and you pay them directly once the task has been completed.

“At Just Clear, we work our eco-friendly cotton socks off, covering the country to remove all sorts of junk and recyclable items. We work with brilliant teams of waste removal experts who believe in simpler, no landfill waste removals.”

15. “Do you provide boxes, bin bags and cleaning materials?”

When I visit for the Initial Consultation, we will determine what you may need and advise you what you will need to obtain in advance of our dee-clutter session, such as cleaning materials, gloves and boxes. I will bring black and blue bin bags, the blue we use for items to be recycled and the black ones we use for non-recyclable items, e.g plastic. I will also bring labels so we can quickly label the bags so we know the contents without having to open the bags.

16. “What if I need to cancel an appointment?”

Both you and I have the right to cancellation due to unforeseen circumstances. Dee-clutter sessions can be rescheduled as soon as it is convenient to us both. If a dee-clutter session is not rescheduled within 31 days, then the first day’s deposit is non-refundable.

17. “How will you dispose of any confidential paperwork?”

All unwanted paperwork will be shredded to ensure your identity and details remain perfectly secure. If you do not own a shredder Diggory’s shall be used.

18. “Do you work at weekends and Bank Holidays?”

Yes I do work weekends and Bank Holidays, however my hourly fee increases to £45.00 per hour.

19. “How long does it take to dee-clutter a space?”

It all depends on your ‘relationship with your clutter’, i.e. how easy or difficult do you find it to ‘let go’?Whether you have been successful in preventing any external distractions, and how quickly you are able to make decisions; and finally, it is dependant on how much clutter there actually is.

I will support and encourage you and keep you focused; and together we can make huge progress.

20. “Will you sell things for me?”

Yes. There are a number of options available, e.g. Facbook or Gumtree, we can discuss these once we establish the requirement. My fee for selling items on your behalf would be my hourly rate of £35.00 per hour.

21. “Is the service you provide confidential?”

Most certainly yes, confidentiality and discretion is guaranteed; however we are happy to sign a confidentiality agreement if it would make you feel more comfortable. Diggory is also fully compliant with the GDPR 2018 and is registered with the Register of Data Controllers at the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) under ‘Registration Reference’: Dee Hope-A8064590.

Yes. Any photographs, quotes and testimonials taken throughout the de-clutter session/s will only be used for publicity purposes on Diggory’s blog, website, marketing material and/or social media with your knowledge and written consent. If you would prefer not to have them published, then Diggory will only keep them for record purposes and will not disclose to any third party.

23. “Do you have Insurance?”

Yes. Diggory is protected by Professional Indemnity and Public Liability Insurance to the value of £5,000,000.00.

24. How many hours do you work?

It depends entirely on my clients. Some clients have the energy and motivation to do a full 8 hour declutter session. Other clients don’t quite have the same energy levels and elect to have 4 or 6 hour sessions.

Also clients availability differs, fore instance, some mums are only available from 09.00 – 15.00 because they need to leave to collect the children.

My service is flexible, I can make it work around your energy levels and availability.

25. What if I have a 4-hour declutter session?

I suit my service to you, so if a 4-hour declutter session works best for you then that is what we will do.

26. Is your car and trailer branded?

Yes. My car has a banner on the back bumper reading, ‘Professional Declutterer and Organiser www.diggorylifestyle.co.uk’, this is permanent. It also has magnetic boards for the front doors, which state what service Diggory Lifestyle offers, these are removable should my client wish it.

Diggory’s trailer is fully company branded and the images are permanent, they cannot be removed.

27. Do you have a uniform?

Yes. I have a branded uniform that I wear for ‘Initial Consultations’ and the ‘declutter sessions’ themselves.

It comprises of branded polo shirts, shell fleeces and jackets.

Should my client wish me not to wear a uniform, I would comply with their wishes.

28. Do you have a Trailer?

Yes. I have a small trailer, it is fully branded. I can take items away to charity shops of your choice, or to charitable organisations and initiatives . I charge per trailer load £20.00.

29. How do you work out the mileage?

I use the aa route planner classic I put my post code in and your postcode in and it tells me how many miles we are apart and how long the journey will take. Then I double those miles which represents a return journey and charge those miles to the client at .45p per mile.

30. What if I live a long way away from you?

If you believe I am the declutterer for you, then I will make myself available to you. It will mean you will be required to pay for my accommodation and meals, everything else is as stated in my Terms of Business.

31. What is a Route Map?

A document of up to 5- 12 pages capturing your unique journey of how we are going to deliver your objective and achieve your vision.

32. What happens at the Initial Consultation?

During your Initial Consultation; I start by understanding why the clutter was created. Is it just a matter of your personality? Time pressures? Poor organisational skills? Those around you being thoughtless? Maybe you just don’t know where to begin?

Then I investigate the clutter. How did it originate? Where is it centered? What are the storage options? Every home is unique, so we must look for solutions that best suit specific needs and circumstances.

I shall make copious notes throughout our consultation; and with your permission, take photographs, which will help to remind me of the clutter pockets in your home when writing your bespoke Route Map.

Getting to know you and your individual circumstances allows me to discover your personal route to a clutter-free life.